


This Is The Start Of Something Beautiful

by jecroisenLarry



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Ed Sheeran - Freeform, M/M, Ziam AU, also i went to an Ed Sheeran gig, although not totally, and i couldn't help but write this, but i couldn't help it, i am so so in love with all these boys, kinda soulmate/reincarnation fic, larry - Freeform, larry au, larry stylinson - Freeform, let's say i am quite obsessed with larry, the ziam here is very minor, this was a long time coming, ziam
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-08
Updated: 2015-02-09
Packaged: 2018-03-06 18:14:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3143882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jecroisenLarry/pseuds/jecroisenLarry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Larry AU.<br/>Where they meet at an Ed Sheeran gig, because what better a place to fall in love?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, I went to an Ed Sheeran gig. And it was so, so amazing, that I kept trying to relive it. That ended up with me watching a lot of live, concert videos of Ed on YouTube. And I stumbled upon a video of him singing This at the iTunes Festival.  
> In that performance, he asked people to hold the person next to them and sing them the song, whether they were family, friends, lovers, or complete strangers. And then my mind ran away with the idea.
> 
> Here's the link to the video if you're interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zqgB2SCPLo (42:45)

It was Friday, afternoon was slowly turning into evening, and the warmth of the late-Spring air was making Louis crave something. He didn’t know what exactly, only that he felt the need to go out and do _something_. He felt adventurous and strangely excited, some sort of itch thrumming under his skin – kind of how he had felt before going on stage that time in High School, when he had played Danny in his school’s rendition of _Grease_. He had no idea why he was feeling that way, but he knew he had to do something about it. He would go crazy if he stayed inside for any longer. He grabbed his phone and called Liam. His kind-eyed best friend answered on the second ring, as always. Liam was always available.

“Hi, Lou!”

He sounded very chipper.

“Hi yourself, Liam” Louis answered with a smile.

“Funny you should call me, I was just about to do the same thing!”

“Were you really?” Louis smiled, a warm, comfortable feeling spreading in his tummy. He had no idea what it was, but he was feeling amazing. Everything seemed easy and he felt like anything was possible.

“Yeah! Let me jump straight into it, then. Okay, so you know how I told you I had entered a contest on Radio 1?”

“Yeah?” Louis liked where this was going.

“Well, they called me back this morning! During the breakfast show! I mean, _Grimmy_ called me! I was on the radio, can you believe this?!”

Louis laughed, eyes going wide. His best friend had been on the radio?! And although Louis had never really liked Grimmy all that much (he certainly preferred Greg James), he could still appreciate the fact that Liam had talked to a goddamn _celebrity_. Sure, he wasn’t really famous outside the UK, and was only a radio DJ, but he was still _Nick Grimshaw_ for fuck’s sake.

“Are you fucking serious?!!” Louis screamed, standing up from the sofa where he’d been slowly sinking into the cushion (and it had had started molding to his body, maybe he’d actually spent too much time laying there).

“Yes!!” Liam answered, laughing delightedly.

“I can’t believe my best mate spoke to Nick fucking Grimshaw!” he answered, joining Liam in his joy fest, laughing with him. “So, what did he say? Did you win anything??”

“Yes!!! Oh my god, this is the best part, you’re going to die” Liam said before pausing for a while, probably for suspense – and to drive Louis crazy.

“Just tell me, Li, come on!!” He pushed, still laughing with his whole being (and why was he feeling that excited, as if something great was about to happen? He could feel it settle deep in his bones, but he had no idea where it came from).

“Ok so… You know how the prizes could either be signed CDs, concert tickets or VIP concert tickets?!”

“Yeah?”

“Well, I won the grand prize: VIP concert tickets!!”

“Are you _fucking_ serious??? For who?! Did you get to choose?!”

“Yes Lou, this is the best part… I didn’t know he was even on the list, but apparently they added him!! Lou, we’re going to see Ed!!”

“Oh my _God_ , tell me you’re not joking?!”

“I’m not, I swear!!” Came Liam’s reply, a bit breathless as he seemed to be jumping up and down (just like Louis was).

“Are you telling we’re getting to meet him too?!”

“Yes, Louis, and it’s _tonight_!”

“Tonight?! God, Li, I love you so much!!!”

Liam laughed. “Love you too, mate! This is going to be _epic_!”

They arranged to meet at Louis’ place in an hour, knowing their VIP passes meant they could skip the whole queue. The blue-eyed boy tried to wrap his head around what had just happened. He couldn’t believe he was going to see _Ed Sheeran_. He was basically in love with the guy. Months back, he had heard about the tour the ginger artist would be doing in the UK, and had tried to get tickets, but the site had crashed under all the demands and he had ended up not getting any. He was crushed, since he had been listening to Ed’s music for two years, and had shown him to Liam, who had become obsessed with it too. They had ended up listening to “+” together pretty much every time they were studying together, and knew the album like the back of their hand. Louis had also gone on a quest for all of Ed’s songs on YouTube, since it seemed like the young artist had recorded dozens of songs that weren’t released. He could probably sing along to every song of his that was on the Internet. Thing is, he had forgotten about the date Ed was playing London, and the fact that he was seeing him that very night had taken him completely by surprise.  
He thought about that great feeling before his phone call, how he had felt like something great was about to happen, and how he had felt compelled to call Liam. Louis was a very rational person and didn’t believe in things like that, but he couldn’t deny that it was a pretty huge coincidence. And the feeling had only grown exponentially since he had heard the good news… He could only wondered what else the night would bring.

***

Louis spent an embarrassingly long time deciding what to wear, but hey, you don’t meet Ed Sheeran every day, do you? He quiffed his hair and stared at himself in the mirror. He was wearing his favorite jeans, so tight that his friends always teased him about them being more leggings than actual jeans, a low-cut white shirt that showed off his collarbones and a nice jacket. He sprayed on some cologne and smiled to himself, feeling like he was on the brink of something extraordinary.

Liam arrived a few minutes later. Louis jumped on him and let his friend’s strong arms lift him off the ground and spin him around. He usually hated when Liam did that, because it made him feel so small, but right now it felt like he could fly. He laughed in Liam’s neck and hugged him tightly when he was put back on the ground.

“Li, I can’t believe we’re doing this!” he said, still laughing delightedly, real and pure.  
“Me neither Lou, I’m so incredibly excited! Plus, I get to do it with you!!” The brown-haired boy answered.  
Louis took a step back to inspect his friend’s appearance.  
“Well well well Liam, look at you!”  
The younger man was wearing black skinnies, a nice grey tank-top that showed off his gorgeous biceps and had done his hair up. He had also let his beard grow a little, but had kept it well-trimmed. He looked very good.  
“Think I look good?” Liam asked sincerely, as he probably didn’t even realize how hot he was.  
“Yeah, Li, you really do. Look at that, all the girls are going to be fawning over you.”  
Liam smiled at that, and hugged Louis once more.

***

They were walking, getting closer to the venue, and Louis’ head as swimming with the same feeling that had taken over him a few hours prior. He still had no idea where it came from, but he let himself bask in it. He felt powerful, as if he’d been chosen by fate, or God, or whatever powerful essence there was up there, and as if he would be protected and led towards something important. Everything felt so _easy_. The two boys had walked to the subway and had arrived just in time to catch one, two people getting up at that exact same time, leaving them to sit in the otherwise crowded train; they had then immediately been called over by a group of people as they were wondering how to get to the venue (“You’re going to the Ed gig too? Follow us!”); and they were now walking and had arrived right in front of the VIP entrance, where they parted with the nice people who’d helped them get there. It was all really coincidental, but Louis couldn’t help but feel like it was more than just that. He told Liam as much, trying to explain what he had been feeling for hours.  
“Are you serious? But what exactly had you been feeling before you called me?”  
“I couldn’t describe it, it was as if something was calling me, telling me I needed to go outside and that something great would happen. It’s quite indescribable. And actually, I’m still feeling it right now, and it’s not just the excitement of the concert – although there is that, of course, I’m about to hear _him_ play, and even meet him –, it’s something stronger. And it’s more urgent now, more intense then it was right before I called you. I don’t know.”

Liam looked at him pensively and smiled.

“You know what it reminds me of? What you’re telling me?” He brushed a stray strand out of his face. As Louis signaled for him to continue, he said: “It reminds me of that scene in West Side Story. My mum used to watch it at least once a month when I was younger, so it’s kind of engraved in my mind forever. Right before he meets Maria, Tony has this feeling that something great is going to happen, and he feels the need to go out and towards her you know. So maybe…”  
“Are you saying I’m turning straight tonight?” Louis answered, laughing. But his heart skipped a beat. Was he about to meet someone, someone really important?

They showed their VIP passes (directly from Liam’s iPhone) and were let in before everyone else. It felt incredible.

“So that’s what it feels like to be rich and powerful, then?” Louis joked. He was so happy that he felt like his heart might burst. He was also feeling extremely nervous, a tight feeling in his belly as if he was the one who was about to go on stage. It was ridiculous.  
“I know”, Liam joked with him. “I might try Radio 1’s contests again if it means we get to do this!”  
A hostess came over to them, a bright smile on her face.

“Hello, may I help you?”

“Uh, yeah” Liam answered “These are our seats.”

The hostess looked at the tickets before smiling even more widely “Oh, you’re the one who won on Radio 1 this morning!”

“Yeah, yeah that’s me” Liam smiled.

“Well, follow me then. You’ll see, Grimmy does things well. You’re literally on the first row, away from the regular fans. It’s almost like getting to have a private show.”

Liam and Louis shared a look, trying to rein in their excitement.

They were led to their seats, and the woman hadn’t been lying. It really was like getting a private show. They would be really close to Ed, and they had enough space to spread out with all their stuff (not that they had brought much, but Louis was a master in spreading his stuff all over anyway). The row was designed to welcome no more than ten people. Louis felt extremely privileged. He went on his tippy-toes to kiss Liam on the cheek and hugged him.  
“Thank you thank you thank you Li, this is so amazing!”

Liam laughed and hugged him back.

“’S alright Lou, it’s not like I’ve done much to win this. And I wouldn’t have wanted to take anyone else, after all, you’re the one who made me discover Ed”, he smiled.

“True, and I did _well_ ”, the older boy answered cheekily.

Voices cut them off. Louis turned around to look at the people who were arriving, wanting to know who would be their concert-neighbors.  
He felt as if he’d been punched in the gut. He registered there were three people, some blond kid, a really dark-haired guy and a third one. But he could only focus on that last one, who was coming towards the seat right next to Louis. He looked to be in his early-twenties, a bit younger than Louis maybe, and he was absolutely breathtaking. Louis’ brain took in rich chocolate curls, bright green eyes, pink, luscious lips, legs that seemed to go on for miles and a shirt, unbuttoned to below the boy’s ribs, showing off creamy skin peppered with tattoos. How was this boy _real_?  
The curious rush that Louis had been feeling for hours sped up and spread throughout his entire body and _this was it_ , he didn’t know what, but _this was it_. The guy lifted his head from where he’d been arranging his bag on the seat and looked up, directly into Louis’ eyes. He froze. The smile he’d been wearing, when he’d been laughing at his blond friend’s joke, slipped off his face, and he slowly let his arm fall from where he had been carding his fingers through his hair.  
Louis stared at him, his eyes darting from one feature to another on the boy’s face, trying to commit it all to memory. He was the most beautiful person – the most beautiful _thing_ – Louis had ever laid eyes upon. The boy stared back at him, his eyes wide and bright. Suddenly, he smiled, tentative at first, before it became big and bright and two dimples poked in his cheeks. Louis took in a sharp breath. It was like looking at the sun.

He smiled back, shyly at first, but before he could help himself, he was smiling widely, unable to stop it. The rush seemed to come to a peak, and Louis could feel it in his veins, as if liquid gold was solidifying inside him. And then, it stopped. All the noises around them came rushing back, and Louis hadn’t even noticed they had stopped. He was too entranced by the boy in front of him. The loudness of everyone talking and people building the stage contrasted with the sudden _calm_ he felt. He felt so _still_. He, Louis Tomlinson, was feeling _still_. If what had just happened hadn’t convinced him that something really bizarre was going on, him not feeling hyper like he always did would have alerted him.  
The boy in front of him was blinking too, and Louis wondered, crazily, if he had felt the same thing. Was he going mad?  
He realized at once that the boy’s two friends and Liam were staring at them.

The dark-haired one took a step closer to the gorgeous boy and put his hand on the boy’s hip. It was familiar and easy in a way that made jealousy curl in Louis’ gut.

“You okay, Haz?” He asked, voice low and concerned. Louis didn’t like that either. The name registered anyway. _Haz_.  
He finally tore his gaze away from the beautiful creature with the wild curls to inspect the stranger that was touching him and talking to him in such an intimate way. And. Okay. So, Louis didn’t know if there was any way he could compete with _that_. The man looked like his face had been crafted by the angels or something. Or maybe he was an angel himself, sent to take care of the breathtaking boy. That would be okay. It would be really nice, even.  
Louis studied the impeccable symmetry of his features: full red lips, straight nose, sharp cheekbones, long dark eyelashes that framed eyes a touch too gold to be completely expected, compared to the rest of him – dark hair, dark skin and a dark aura that his soulful eyes shattered, in a way. Those eyes were too soft, too light to go with everything else, and made him even more astonishing. Looking at him really was an experience – first, reverence at his beauty, although it was almost too perfect and intimidating. Until you saw his eyes, that is. They immediately added another layer – one of gentleness, and Louis thought to himself that, unlike his first impression, maybe the two boy’s closeness wasn’t that bad. If the curly-haired beauty was taken care of, all was well. (He knew it was most strange to be having such thoughts about someone he had just met, but he couldn’t help but feel as if that boy was to be protected at all costs.)

Liam had mirrored the black-haired boy’s position and was looking at him, worry evident in his brown eyes.  
“Lou? Is everything alright?”  
Louis looked at him, unable to answer.  
“Do you know him?” Liam asked.

Louis’ first instinct was to answer in the negative. No, he didn’t know the boy – he would have remembered. But a sudden flash of images flowed in his brain. It was nothing precise, nothing he could grasp long enough to really examine the contours of – in the way dreams escaped you in the morning, leaving a sense of familiarity, a presence that you couldn’t unveil. The boy felt like a déjà-vu.

Louis shook his head. He felt Liam’s gaze, rendered even more worried by the lack of any answer on Louis’ part, but couldn’t stop himself from looking at the boy again. It was as if something connected him to the tall stranger. The boy was already looking back at Louis when he turned to him again. Louis looked him over, trying not to be too creepy (although he doubted he hadn’t crossed that line already). He focused on the tattoos he could see. A ship on the boy’s arm reminded Louis of the compass on his own. There were letters (G, A), quotes, birds, numerous patterns that Louis wanted to trace with his fingers, wanted to ask the boy about, wanted to hear the story of. The boy’s blond friend cleared his throat noisily, making Louis and the beautiful stranger start a little. Louis turned away from him, embarrassment overcoming him in the form of a heavy blush. God, he had basically been checking out that stranger for a long time, in front of his two friends (or was the dark-haired one more than that? Was the boy even anything but straight?).

“What _was_ that??” Liam asked in a loud whisper.  
“I don’t _know_ , Liam, God!”  
“Do you know him?!”  
“I don’t think so, gosh, Li” Louis answered, wanting Liam to stop talking so Louis could stop being embarrassed.  
“You don’t _think so_?” Liam insisted, flabbergasted.

Thankfully, the opening band came onstage, saving him from answering. Throughout their entire performance, Louis tried to ignore the strong feeling of the stranger’s presence by his side. He felt it physically, some kind of warmth reverberating on the left part of his body, as if the boy really was the Sun and Louis could feel the heat seeping off him. He managed not to look at him even once, although he couldn’t focus on anything other than the feel of him by his side. He ignored Liam’s pointed looks on his other side, too.  
“What even _is_ happening?” he wondered.

The support band ended their set and Louis clapped with the rest of the public, even though he hadn’t heard a single note. The thirty minute wait for the actual concert began. Liam looked at Liam, who thankfully didn’t ask him anything else. Louis tried focusing on their conversation, although he could feel the burn of the stranger’s presence on his back, now that he was turned away from him. He only wanted to turn to him, to look at him, to understand what _this_ was all about. He hadn’t even known it was possible to feel the way he was.  
He ended up giving in, and on the pretense of rummaging through his bag, he turned towards where the three friends were sitting. The boy turned too, no less than a second later. He looked at Louis and smiled at him, and it blinded Louis again. He smiled back. They stared at each other for another second, before turning away at the same moment. It was insanely synchronized and intensely creepy. Liam was looking at him when Louis faced him again.  
“So, is he your Maria?”  
Louis blinked.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait on this one!! Hope you like it :) xx

Ed Sheeran appeared on stage, so close to them that Louis had trouble believing it was all true. He was there, and he was real. He was also shorter than Louis would have imagined, and even more talented than the videos showed off. He started with I’m A Mess, which was one of Louis’ favorite songs from “X”, and he sang along aggressively. It was easier not to look at the green-eyed stranger with Ed singing, because he really was incredibly talented and energetic and incredible to look at. He performed with all he had. That didn’t mean Louis couldn’t still feel the boy on his left. In the bits between songs where Ed would talk, Louis had to physically restrain himself from looking over at him, or even extend a hand to _touch_. It was all very strange and scared Louis half to death.

Then, Ed spoke up. He started off by telling them about his experience at a Festival he used to attend as a teenager, the feeling of being drunk in the middle of strangers with a really good band playing.  
“Now, I want you all to transport yourself to that tent at the Festival, you’ve lost your friends and you’re a little bit drunk, but the band playing is really nice and you’re hugging everyone and telling them you love them. Find the person next to you, it could be a friend, a lover, a stranger you think is really attractive or an old men that smells a little bit. Find them and hug them, and tell them you love them.” Louis wondered if he was dreaming as he turned to his left, forgetting all about Liam on his right. The beautiful stranger was already looking at him. They smiled at each other for the third time that night. Louis opened his arms, and the boy took one step towards him. His legs were so long that it was enough to place him right in front of Louis. He leant down and wrapped his own arms around Louis’ smaller, curvier frame. It was so, so cliché, but Louis could only compare what he felt at that moment to an electric current on his skin. The stranger’s touch was infinitely gentle and so unexpected yet familiar at the same time. Louis melted into him. He smelled so, so good, and once again, the scent was strangely familiar to Louis. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the embrace. Ed’s voice through the speakers surprised him and he started. The boy had too, and he laughed a little, a soft, quiet sound that made Louis shiver.

“Oops” he said, and his voice was so deep and raspy… Louis would have never expected that from the cherubic boy, yet it fit him. They parted away from each other, but neither of them took a step back. Louis looked up at the gorgeous stranger.   
“Hi” he breathed, a silly smile stretching his lips.   
“Hello. ‘M Harry.” The tall boy answered.  
Harry. Haz. Louis liked it and he thought that it corresponded him very well.   
“And I’m Louis.” He said, the same smile still plastered on his face.   
“Very nice to meet you, Louis.” Harry answered, and Louis couldn’t help but think that his name sounded very good in Harry’s slow, deep drawl. He also thought that he might never want to stop hearing it that way.

“- I want you to keep your arm around that person, as if you were at the Festival at 2am, and you just met them but you already love them. Sing along if you know the words, and make them up if you don’t.” Ed was saying.

Harry grinned at him, his lovely dimples not once disappearing. He slung an arm around Louis’ shoulder, and the shorter boy snaked his around Harry’s waist. He couldn’t believe his luck. Harry’s touch made Louis feel better than he had ever felt, and he was smiling down at him with something in his eyes that made Louis shiver. He never wanted this moment to end. Then, Ed started singing, and it was one of Louis’ favorite songs of all time, and certainly his favorite one by Ed.

“This, is the start of something beautiful,   
This, is the start of something new…”  
Louis shivered and sang along. Harry was, too, and Louis couldn’t hear much, but his voice sounded _incredible_. It made Louis self-conscious. He stopped singing so he could focus on Harry’s rich voice that felt like warm butter all around him. They were slowly swinging from side to side, to the beat of the song.  
This, right here, was Louis’ own version of heaven. He didn’t know if it was the start of something beautiful and new, but it definitely was incredible: Louis’ favorite singer, his favorite song and a beautiful stranger that made him feel weird things by his side.

“Now, I want you to turn away from me, and to look your lover, friend, your stranger right in the eye and sing the next line to them. Stop looking at me, turn to each other, put your arms around each other, that’s right!”

Louis turned to Harry and they wrapped around each other in such an easy way that it felt practiced. They just fit like puzzle pieces. They looked at each other, and Louis didn’t even dare blink. He never wanted this moment to end, and he never wanted to stop looking at those gorgeous green eyes. He felt as if he’d been transported to a different dimension, to a space that was out of the real world, where it was only him, Harry and Ed’s voice. Louis remembered the ball scene in West Side Story and thought that maybe, he had found his own Maria. Only it felt much more powerful, much more beautiful, much more _real_.  
And they sang to each other.

“You, are the start of something beautiful,   
You, are the start of something new”

It was like nothing Louis had ever experienced. He couldn’t look away from Harry, from that breathtaking stranger with the green eyes and the pink pink lips and the bright smile and the curls and the deep voice and tall body and warm, big hands.

But the song ended. And, like everybody else, they parted. Louis immediately missed and craved Harry’s touch, and he thought with a panic that maybe he shouldn’t ever have experienced this, because now he would never be fulfilled, he would seek this forever. He would crave that touch forever.

The concert continued, the two boys looking at each other and brushing against each other, but it wasn’t enough, it would never be enough until Louis was buried in Harry’s arms again.

And then Ed was announcing his last song and Louis was feeling panicked. It couldn’t be ending. He anxiously looked at Harry when the song ended and Ed left the stage. He needed – he needed a number, a last name, one last touch… Harry was looking at him too, and he was opening his mouth to say something. But Liam was grabbing his arm.   
“Lou, we need to go. The bodyguard needs to take us backstage.”

“Wait, Li-“

But he was being pushed by a bulky man dressed all in black. He turned around one last time, and caught Harry’s gaze, his mouth closed now and something like the desperation that Louis was feeling in his eyes. In a few seconds, Harry was completely out of sight, and Louis’ heart was heavy and his mind restless. He couldn’t – he couldn’t not see him again. It was _impossible_.

They walked through a maze of corridors, and Liam was all bright eyes and excitement. Louis should have been too, but he just _couldn’t_. He was still in Harry’s strong arms in his mind.   
They were told to sit on two plastic chairs outside a tall black door.   
“You will have to wait around fifteen minutes for Ed to settle a bit” the man said before leaving them.

Louis sighed in despair. He didn’t even want to meet Ed, he didn’t want anything but to _find_ that boy. The thought that he might have lost him forever was unbearable.

“Louis, are you alright?” Liam asked, a worried frown on his face.

“No, Li, I might never see him again!”

“The boy? You didn’t ask for his number?”

“I didn’t get the time to!! Liam, I’ll never see him again, and he is so so perfect, he’s gentle and gorgeous and his name is Harry. Liam, you don’t understand, there’s something about him, it feels like fate. I feel like I already know him, I don’t even know why, and when he touched me –“

“Shh, Lou. I saw, I saw. The way you two were around each other, it was incredible to watch. It was Tony and Maria all over again, right in front of my eyes. It is fate, and since it is, you will meet again. Be sure of it.” Liam answered, wrapping Louis in his arms and kissing his hair.

“Are you- are you serious?” Louis asked.

“Yes, babe, I am.”

“But fate doesn’t exist –“

“After tonight, can you really say that?”

Louis thought about the buzzing under his skin, the way everything had stopped when he had looked into Harry’s eyes, all the coincidences, how he had felt familiar, the effects of his touch on Louis… He was a rational being, but he couldn’t think of a single rational explanation.  
He tried to calm himself and to think about meeting Ed, tried to feel the excitement. Liam’s arms around him helped.

***

“You can come in” The hostess from when they had arrived said, smiling from where she had opened the door. Liam and Louis followed her through another corridor. They arrived in front of another door, where Ed’s name was displayed. They entered the room.

There was a couch, and Ed was sat there, his feet in a curly-haired boy’s lap.


	3. Chapter 3

Louis’ mouth fell open. He wasn’t dreaming, it was Harry. Well, at least he hoped he wasn’t dreaming. The whole night felt too surreal to be true, and he wouldn’t be surprised to wake up in his bed any second. The two other boys were there too, the blond one sat on the floor with a guitar in his hands, the dark-haired handsome one next to Harry. They all turned to them.

“Louis!” Harry exclaimed.

“Harry!” He answered back, knowing he probably sounded slightly insane, but not caring at all. He had found him. _He had found him_.

Harry made to stand up, maybe cross the distance that was separating them, but seemed to realize that Ed’s legs, draped over his legs, were in the way. And what even?! Harry knew _Ed_? Sure, the three boys had been in the VIP tickets, but Louis had just assumed that they had either won them or bought them. He certainly hadn’t presumed that they were friends of Ed Sheeran’s – that would have been quite ridiculous. Yet here they were, and it seemed like Harry wouldn’t stop surprising him anytime soon.

Ed raised an eyebrow. “So _he_ ’s –“

Harry interrupted him.

“You’re the one who won the tickets!”

“Yeah, uh I mean, not really, it was Liam. But. He took me.” God, he was so awkward. Since when was _he_ awkward?

“Oh, hi mate!” Harry said, turning to Liam, as if he had just noticed him. “I’m Harry.” He said it with one of those gigantic, blinding smiles that were almost too luminous to witness. “I heard you this morning, on Grimmy’s show!”

“Oh, did you?” Liam asked warmly.

Louis watched Harry’s face, unable to stop staring at him. And it was probably extremely rude, especially since they were supposed to be here to meet Ed. But there was no way Louis would look away from the Sun, now that he had found it again. When he tuned back into the conversation, Harry was introducing his friends.

“- This is Niall, and this is Zayn. And you probably know Ed” he added, laughing, and it was a terrible joke, but Louis was incredibly endeared. He mulled over the guy’s names. They suited them well, he thought. Niall seemed very open and funny, the kind of person that was just extremely approachable. As for Zayn, his name was beautiful and exotic, just like he was. Louis noticed Liam’s gaze on Zayn curiously. So maybe Liam hadn’t gotten a chance to get a good look before, Louis being in the way the whole time. And Zayn’s appearance truly was out of this world. But Louis thought he noted something more than just aesthetical appreciation in Liam’s eyes, which surprised him. Liam was the straightest man Louis knew. He decided to file that tidbit of information for later, when they would be alone, and turned back to the guys on the couch.

“Hi everyone, I’m Louis. And uh, Ed, I’m a really big fan. I absolutely love your music, you’re definitely one of my favorite artists.”

“Thanks, mate!” The ginger guy answered easily, and oh god, Louis couldn’t believe he was actually having a conversation with him. “Well, come sit with us, then, there’s plenty of space!”

There really wasn’t. Louis ended up pressed between Harry and Liam, who was in turn pressed to Zayn. Harry’s scent invaded Louis’ senses once again, and it was almost too much. Every part of Harry’s body that was touching him felt like a furnace against his skin.

“So, would you guys like some beer?” Ed asked. And. Louis didn’t exactly know how these VIP meet and greets usually went, but he was pretty sure that getting drunk with the singer and his friends wasn’t the protocol. He wasn’t going to say no to free beer, though. Especially if it meant he got to spend more time in Harry’s company. And Ed’s. Who he had come to see. God, he was in too deep.

Two or three beers each (and five for Niall, who turned out to be Irish) later and Louis was feeling pleasantly buzzed. He wasn’t drunk, not nearly, just a little tipsy – enough to let himself giggle (a sound he usually suppressed) and to be a little more daring than he would usually be. He was a really touchy person, and an even touchier drunk. Harry’s presence only exacerbated that trait. Every time someone said something remotely funny, or Liam embarrassed Louis by telling stories, he hid his face in Harry’s chest, that was really solid and very much _there_. Harry would rub his back and the nape of his neck each time, his big hands making Louis shiver. After a while, the curly-haired boy just stopped removing his hand and just kept it there, tracing circles in Louis’ skin, from his nape to his back. Louis felt himself melting until he was completely huddled into Harry’s side. God, it felt so good.

They spoke and laughed, and Louis had never met strangers with whom he got on so well. Their group made so much sense, it was as if they all thought in a similar way and came together to create an easy group. Liam was his usual kind, easy-going self, and the guys seemed to love him (especially Zayn, if the way he smiled to him more than to anyone else was anything to go by), Niall really was hilarious and Ed was as laid-back and cool as Louis had imagined him to be. As for Zayn, he was quiet and calm, but when he spoke, his remarks were very smart and funny – in a way that Louis wouldn’t have expected. Harry was quirky and cute and kind and ridiculous and Louis couldn’t believe he got to cuddle him. He looked up at him from where he was plastered to his side and watched him speak, his pink lips forming the words in an incredibly enticing way. Even now, Louis felt a weird sense of familiarity, but couldn’t place it. It was just out of his reach, in a place that Louis couldn’t access. As he was looking at him, one thought came to his mind “He looks how Hotel California sounds”, and it was ridiculous, and it made no sense at all, yet Louis couldn’t put it any other way. Just like the song, which had been one of Louis’ favorites since forever, Harry was beautiful and painful at the same time, a strange sense of nostalgia filling Louis when he looked at him.

***

Louis’ bubbly personality seemed to highly entertain the other boys, and, soon, he found himself doing all sorts of ridiculous things. Harry, Zayn and Niall looked at him with laughter and something like admiration in their eyes, Liam looking on fondly as usual. Ed just laughed and went crazy with him. It was quite hard to believe, really, it was all so surreal. Harry looked at him as if he had never seen anyone like him. Out of all the boys, he was the one who laughed harder at his jokes (although Niall was louder in his hysterics), and the look on his face was extremely rewarding. After one particularly exhausting impersonation that had required for him to stand up, and had sent all the other guys in a fit of hysteria, Louis went to sit down at his spot on the sofa, but Harry stopped him.

“Hey, Lou” and did the nickname sound good on his lips… “Why don’t you sit on my lap instead? That way, Zayn won’t have to worry about falling off the couch”. And really, he didn’t think the situation was that serious – they had been in that position for more than an hour, after all – but he wouldn’t pass an opportunity to _sit in Harry’s lap_.  
He plopped down on the boy’s thighs, and Harry immediately wrapped his arms around his waist. Louis didn’t think he had ever felt that comfortable. Harry was warm and strong and he smelled good and felt like home (and wasn’t that just a bit weird, considering they had met not more than four hours ago?). He burrowed further into the curly haired boy’s body, trying to get more of the feeling.

“You comfortable?” The deep voice whispered in his ear. Louis barely refrained a shiver.

“Yeah, very comfortable.” He turned his head slightly and aimed a bright smile Harry’s way. It earned him an equally bright smile coupled with dimples and a gentle squeeze on his skin by Harry’s big hands.

***

A bit later, and Louis had completely melted in Harry’s embrace, his head resting on the boy’s shoulder, eyes almost closed, and the only thing keeping him from sliding to the floor being Harry’s strong arms. Harry had started caressing his sides at some point, and as the older boy’s shirt had drawn up, he had just started drawing patterns directly on Louis’ skin. The blue-eyed boy felt as if he was in heaven. He looked around the room and observed as Zayn and Liam, where they were squished on the couch, were _snuggling_. Louis raised an eyebrow. Not only was Liam not the type to open to someone that soon and that easily, he wouldn’t have imagined Zayn to be the type either, he had barely spoken at all! Louis watched as Liam traced the skin of Zayn’s arm with the fingers of his left arm, which was thrown around the dark-haired boy’s shoulders. Although far from being the extreme cuddling Harry and Louis were displaying, it seemed monumental from the two boys, and Louis promised himself he would have a discussion regarding that particular image with Liam, and maybe even Harry. He already felt weirdly close to the boy, and since he was best friends with Zayn… He figured it was a distinct possibility. Ed was sprawled on the floor next to Niall, where he had joined him after a while to pick at his guitar. The two of them were bantering familiarly and Louis couldn’t believe he was part of _this_. A question from Liam tugged him back to reality.

“So, guys, what was you first ever gig?”

They had been asking all sorts of questions to get to know each other. It was entertaining and fun. The questions ranges from serious ones (“What are you studying?”, “Where are you from?”) to more random – and sometimes hilarious – ones (“Tell us your most embarrassing story.”). This one was in between the two, and easy to answer.

“The Script” Harry and Louis said at once. They had spoken perfectly in sync.

“That’s creepy, man” Niall commented as Harry and Louis giggled.

“What is?” Ed asked “The fact that they spoke at the exact same time or the fact that their first gig is the same artist?”

“Both, I guess” Niall answered, shrugging.

“It kind of is, yeah” Liam agreed.

“Where was yours?” Louis asked, turning his body on Harry’s lap so he could look the younger boy in the eye.

“The Manchester O2” Harry answered.

Louis’ eyes widened.

“No fucking way.”

“You too?!” Harry asked.

“Yeah! What date?”

“I don’t remember the exact date, but around early February 2009?”

“You have got to be _fucking_ kidding me!” was Harry’s only answer.

It was Louis’ turn to let out a “You too??”. The other boys were looking on, amazed. It wasn’t every day you witnessed two people reenacting the most romantic movie “love at first sight” scenes, and the coincidence really was quite incredible.

“I can’t believe we coincided!! We could have met there, maybe we even passed each other by!”

“I know!!”

And then they were hugging, laughing delightedly, and Louis thought that Harry’s warmth against him was the most important thing in the world at that very moment.

***

The rest of the night went similarly, between beers and laughs and hugs. Louis realized that he and Liam should have been kicked out a long time ago, as they only had VIP passes that allowed maybe fifteen minutes with the artist at most, not the whole freaking evening. They had been there a good three hours and a half, and the staff was closing everything up, getting ready to leave. A timid looking young man approached Ed carefully.

“Um, I’m sorry to bother you, but we’re going to have to ask you to leave soon, the venue is closing…”

“Oh yeah, of course, sorry! I guess we just got a little too caught up… Time flies when you have a few beers, doesn’t it?”

The staff member laughed, obviously relieved, and left with a smile.

“So… I guess this means we should get going.” Ed said, looking at everyone.

“Yeah, thank you so much for letting us stay that long, man. And for the concert, too, it really was incredible.” Liam said, ever the thoughtful one. Louis had only been getting anxious about having to depart, not sure whether he would be able to disentangle his body from Harry’s, when it felt like there wasn’t any place in the world where he belonged more.

“Yeah, it was… Incredible. And meeting you all, too, it really is amazing how great we seem to be getting on. We didn’t know each other mere hours ago, and now look at us.”

Zayn smiled from his spot under Liam’s arm, echoing the other boys’ expressions.

“Yeah. We definitely need to keep in touch and meet up again soon!” Harry said.

They all agreed vehemently.

“Well, I don’t know how that will go for me, since I’m leaving the country for my European Tour really soon, and still have many days of promo ahead of me, but do meet up without me, and we’ll meet up again all together as soon as my schedule allows me to.” Ed said, smiling.

Louis’ heart was beating out of his chest. So not only was he going to get the opportunity to see Harry and his friends again, but the great Ed Sheeran was actually planning on spending time with them in the long-term to! Surely this was a dream. Maybe Louis would need to pinch himself.

Goodbyes were bid, many hugs were shared, and phone numbers were swapped. Harry saved his own in Louis’ phone under “Hazza” – a nickname Louis had picked up from Zayn, Niall and Ed – and a series of emojis (the cute monkey with his hands on his eyes and many hearts in many different colors). Louis retaliated by naming his contact “Lou” and adding all his favorite emojis. They shared a goofy smile and one last, long hug before eventually parting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always greatly appreciated! :) xx

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a comment if you'd like, it makes my day!


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